Guest Speakers At Political Theory Reading Group Meeting

The Reading Lab in Political Theory Welcomes the Librettist and Composer of JFK, Royce Vavrek and David T. Little, to the Department of Political Science

On January 24, 2018, the Reading Lab in Political Theory hosted a discussion session with Dr. David T. Little and Royce Vavrek, composer and librettist of the opera JFK that will premiere in Montreal on January 27. Vavrek and Little shared with the group regarding their creative process, insights about the interplay of politics and music, the place of opera in society today, and particular questions about JFK raised by the group, such as the role of fate, the balance between operatic tradition and technology, as well as the relationship between fact, truth, and myth.

Vavrek holds a BFA in filmmaking and creative writing from Concordia, a Masters in musical theatre writing. He established his career as an opera librettist with the American Lyric Theatre’s Composer Librettist Development Program. His opera Angel’s Bone with composer Du Yun was award the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Little holds a PhD in music composition from Princeton University. He wrote his dissertation on political music (1917 to present) dealing predominantly with communism and anarchism. The New Yorker describes Little as “one of the most imaginative young composers.”

The Reading Lab in Political Theory will attend the JFK premiere on January 27.

Click here for a picture of Vavrek, Little and a few members of the Reading Lab.